Tesla has expanded its Full Self-Driving Beta program by releasing the first public version of FSD Beta 12.1.2, update 2023.44.30.12 to a select group of Tesla owners. This version is notable for its use of an end-to-end neural network, which is expected to greatly improve Tesla's advanced driver assist system (ADAS). The neural network, trained on millions of video clips, replaces much of the previous explicit C++ coding, improving the system's capability to handle complex driving situations. While Elon Musk had suggested that version 12 would see FSD coming out of beta, the release notes still label it as beta.
Tesla previously released FSD Beta v12 internally, including v12, v12.1, and v12.1.1, but v12.1.2 is the first to be available to non-employees. OG FSD Beta tester, and Tesla influencer, @WholeMarsBlog received this newest release last night and has already published his video (below).
Early Feedback & Tempering Expectations
Early reports say that FSD Beta v12 is more intuitive and drives more human-like. The feedback appears to be overwhelmingly positive, although it’s not uncommon for owners to get excited about such a monumental release that we’ve been looking forward to for many months. We may need to temper our expectations as this release alone won’t get us to level 4 or even level 3 autonomy, but it could be a significant step in the right direction. It could be as significant to vehicle control as when Tesla first transitioned to using AI for Autopilot.
Early reports say that there is a noticeable improvement in how the vehicle handles urban driving scenarios. The smoother transitions and quicker response times appear to contribute to a more comfortable and human-like driving experience. This shouldn’t be unexpected, as vehicle control is now trained on videos of humans driving instead of engineer-written code.
New Pull-Over Feature
A notable feature of FSD Beta v12.1.2 is its ability to pull over to the side of the road autonomously, a functionality showcased in Musk's live stream. At the end of a drive, the vehicle will now pull over to the site of the road instead of simply stopping. WholeMarsBlog shows off this feature in action in his video below:
For such a milestone release, Tesla hasn’t provided much information in the way of release notes. Each FSD Beta release normally contains a long list of technical release notes, which often need to be translated for everyone to understand. However, this time we get a single sentence that describes FSD Beta v12. The release notes simply state:
“FSD Beta v12 upgrades the city-streets driving stack to a single end-to-end neural network trained on millions of video clips, replacing over 300k lines of explicit C++ code.”
Road Ahead and Release Date
A clearer picture of FSD Beta v12.1.2 and its real-world performance will emerge as more Tesla owners receive the update and share their feedback. It will be interesting to see how the system handles diverse driving conditions, especially in areas with heavy precipitation, a scenario Elon Musk mentioned needing more training.
While this public release is monumental, the release to additional owners is expected to be a gradual and slow process. It could be months before most owners have access to this latest update. Tesla will likely gather feedback with this release and issue additional v12 betas to ignore other issues and improve the system.
While Tesla continues to innovate and refine its FSD technology, it is crucial to remember that the software is still in beta. The transition to full autonomy is a complex and gradual process, requiring rigorous testing and validation. However, with each update like v12.1.2, Tesla moves closer to realizing its vision of fully autonomous vehicles.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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